Thill-coupling.



nu. 695,097.' 'Patented Mar. n, |902. G. H. FERNALD. THIVLL CUUPLI'NG. (Application med Maf. 28, 1901.)4 (No Model.)

UNrrnD Strains Farnivr rricn.

GEORGE I-I. FERNALD, OF NORTHEAST, PENNSYLVANIA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

srncrnrcarrolv forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,097. dated March 11. 1902 Application iiled March 28. 1901. Serial No. 53,277. (No model.)

T0 tZZ whom. it may concern.-

Be it Vknown that l, GEORGEH.' FERNALD, of Northeast, in the county of Erie, in the State of Pennsylvania,'have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in thill-eouplings, and particularly to an anti rattler and quick-shift mechanism.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the antirattler mechanism may automatically adj ust itself to any size or form of thill-couplings.

The further object of this invention is to so combine the hinge-pin, bearing-plate, and spring for the antirattler as to permit the same to be readily withdrawn or inserted in operative position when desired, said plate serving tohold the hinge-pin in operative po sition from lateral movement or displacement.

To this end the invention consists in the combination, construction, and arrangement of the parts of a thill-coupling, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3 are respectively top plan, side elevation, and front face views of a Jchill-coupling embodying my invention. Fig. et is an isometric view of the detached hinge-couplin g, showing the bearing-plate and antirattler-spring as mounted thereon. Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the detached bearing-plate.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

A represents an ordinary clip mounted upon an axle A and secured thereto by a suitable clip-plate a and clamping-nuts a. The clip is provided with the usually-separated ears 1, having apertures for receiving the coupling-pin, presently described.

B is an ordinary thill-strap, having an eye b inserted between the ears 1 and having its aperture alined with the apertures of the ears 1.

The parts just described may be of any desired form or size and are herein shown to illustrate the operation of my invention, which consists of a coupling-pin 2, a bearing plate 3, and a spring 4.

The coupling-pin 2 is preferably U -shaped,- having one of itsarms, as 5, adapted to be inserted 'in the apertures of the ears 1 and eye b for coupling the thill-strap to the clip. The oppositearm 6 of the bar 2 is preferably of less length than the arm 5 and is provided with a reduced portion 7 for forming sepa# rated shoulders 8 and 9, said arm 6 being norg mally disposed in a plane beneath the ears 1 and eye b, or, in other words, is separated a sufficient distance from said ears and eye to permit the hinge-pin to be rockedv upon the arm 5 when it is desired to remove the thills from the clips A.

The bearing-plate 3 is similar in face view to the plate which forms a portion of the subject-matter of my former application, Serial No. 50,443, filed March 9, 1001, being provided with laterally-projecting arms 10, hav ing opposite inclined edges 11, converging toward each other, the opposite ends of said plate being extended beyond the inclined edges 11. This bearing-plate 3 is provided with a forwardly-projecting lug l2,`having an aperture 13, which receives the reduced portion 7 of the arm 6 ofthe coupling-pin 2, said aperture having an open front side for form ing suitable shoulders 14. This bearing-plate is usually formed of malleable iron or similar metal, and the shoulders la are normally separated a sufiicient distance to receive the reduced portion 7 of the arm 6, said shoulders being compressed toward each other in the manner seen in Figs. 2, 3, and 5 for se curing the bearing-plate to the said reduced portion 7 it being understood that the shoulders 1a are sufficiently pliable to permit the same to be hammered or otherwise compressed for the purpose just described. The

shoulders 8 and 0 being of greater diameter than the aperture 13, it is evident that said bearing-plate is prevented from lateral displacement and is retained in position by the arm 6.

The spring 4. is similar to that set forth in my former application, Serial No. 50,443, being provided with coils 15, which are mounted uponthe projecting arms 10 of the bearing-plate 3 and are arranged to engage the inclined edges 11 of said arms 10 when the spring is tensioned to its operative position, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The oppo-i IOO site ends of the coils extend forwardly and rearwardly beyond the front and. rear faces of the coils, the front ends of said coils being united to. each other, and are provided with a concave engaging face 16 and an intermediate downwardly-extending loop 17, Which is also concave, for engaging the rear face of the thill-strap B, or, rather, of the eye b, the opposite ends of said coil being provided with a suitable link 18, Which is movably connected to said rearwardly-extending arms of the coils and is adapted to engage or interlock with the upper face lof the clip-plate a, it being understood that when the rear ends of the coils 15 are elevated and the link 1S is interlocked with the clip-plate a that the coils 15 are slightly contracted and firmly engage the opposite inclined edges of the arms 10, and when said spring is in its normal position the coils are open sufficiently to permit the arms 10 to be readily inserted into or Withdrawn from the coils 10. It is further evident that when the spring l is tensioned the rear face of the intermediate portion of the bearing-plate 3 is forced against the front edge or end of the clip-plate a and that the upper endy of the bearing-plate is also forced into engagement with the rear face of the forwardly and upwardly extending arms of the spring.

When the parts of my invention are assembled or placed in operative position, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 8, the concave engaging face ofthe forwardly and upwardly extending arm of the spring is registered with the rear face of the eye b and the opposite arms of the spring are tensioned upwardly and the link 18 is slipped over and engaged with the upper face of the rear end ot' the plate a, thus holding the spring in its tensioned position, the bearing-plate being free toslide or move along the front edge of the clip-plate a in order that the upwardly-extending arm of the spring which engages the rear face of the eye b may readily center itself or adjust itself to the contour of said eye. This combination and construction of my invention forms a particularly simple means for preventing the rattle of the hinge connection between the thill strap and clip and at the same time forms a quick shift for permitting the thills or a pole to be readily placed in operative position or removed therefrom.

It will be noted that the hinge-couplings, bearing-plate, and antirattler-spring are all connected to each other, are readily assembled, and can be manufactured and sold as an article of manufacture at a minimum cost and applied to any form of thill-coupling.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing Ydescription and the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that some change may be made in the detail construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention Without departing from the spirit thereof-as, for instance, the lug 12 may be unprovided with the transverse division in the Wall of the aperture 13 and the free end of the arm 6 may be provided with a removable shoulder, as a nut, for preventing the lateral displacement of said bearing-plate.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In an antirattler for th-ill-coupliugs, the combination of a clip having separated ears, a thill-strap having an eye inserted between the ears, a substantially U-shaped bar having one arm inserted through the ears and eye of the mill-strap, a bearing-plate carrying upward and downward extensions, arms having outwardly-inclined edges, formed intermediate said upward and downward eX- tensions, an apertured split lug formed integral With said plate to receive the other arm of said substantially U-shaped bar carrying a reduced portion, a spring carrying coils engaging the arms of the plate, an upwardlyextending curved loop carrying an intermediate downwardly-extending curved loop engaging the rear face of said thill-strap, and means whereby said springs are suitably connected together.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March, 1901.

GEO. H. FERNALD.

Witnesses:

ANDREW AMAN, I. L. GRIGSBY. 

